OP never said he doesn't already have access to a computer of some sort, he just asked which iPad to get between the iPad 2 and iPad mini. Plus, even if he doesn't have his own PC, most schools/colleges have PC access in libraries.

If you're getting one as a secondary device to a computer I would go mini, it just seems more portable and better value at this time in the game. But there are lots of reasons for/against the other iPads as well.

If you really want to be honest, you don't need an iPad for college....

However, the mini seems a bit more alluring to me

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I use an ipad for college and its a marvelous gadget to have.. All my books are available to rent through various vendors which support tablets ( amazon,chegg,etc) also notebook apps on ipad eliminates paper, pens, highlighters etc.. Why carry around all that weight n your "book bag" if u can simply have it in one tablet..

I use an ipad for college and its a marvelous gadget to have.. All my books are available to rent through various vendors which support tablets ( amazon,chegg,etc) also notebook apps on ipad eliminates paper, pens, highlighters etc.. Why carry around all that weight n your "book bag" if u can simply have it in one tablet..

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Point well taken. iPads are popular in the educational market for many of the reasons you stated.

Get the iPad Mini plus a Bluetooth keyboard. Your vision is probably still pretty good. The full size iPad 2 with it's lower DPI is for oldsters who need reading glasses.

The Mini, even with the keyboard, also costs less, and with less glass area is likely harder to break or damage when you drop your book bag.

With an iPad plus a BT keyboard and your university's fast wireless network, you might not need to carry a laptop. Just RDP or VNC into a virtual PC desktop somewhere else when you need any application not available for iOS. You can rent a Linux or Windows VM from Amazon EC2 by the hour. There are even places you can rent access to a Mac desktop in the cloud.

Depends. If you're lugging a lot of text books and a laptop go with the Mini. If you live very close to the campus and don't need to walk too much I'd say the iPad 2 is better for viewing apps, reading/typing notes etc.
You really just have to weigh-in on your needs/wants. Personally, I'm thinking of getting an iPad Mini to work with my iPad 2 or to completely replace it.

I sold my iPad 1 and ordered a Mini. I was always reluctant putting my iPad in a backpack and have it get beat around, but with the mini I can just put it in my jacket pocket. Plus, the mini should be faster than the 2/3, and a heck of a lot faster than my iPad 1.

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